Sleeping on stomach

[lalath]

I know this has been done time and time again, and I guess I'm just after more reassurance!

DD is five months old, just. She can roll both ways, from front to back and back to front. We co-sleep. Until now, she has slept on her back until her first feed, then on her side (I fall asleep as she feeds, and she stays like that on her side).

Now she can roll she always rolls onto her stomach to sleep. I put her back on her back, but by the time I wake up again, she is back on her stomach.

I have been worried because our mattress is quite old (possible over-worrying here), so I have put her brand new, firm cot mattress on our bed, and she is asleep on that. She will spend most of the night on her stomach.

When it gets to about 4am, I relax a bit and let her stay on her belly, so I get 90 minutes of good sleep. My totally illogical reasoning being that at 4am it's almost morning so she'll be OK.

But for the rest of the night before, I barely sleep at all as I'm so worried about her on her belly, and I keep turning her back.

I know it should be OK to leave her on her belly if she can roll, but she is only five months (and also, she is a very small 5 months - she is still wearing 0-3 months clothes, and is only on the 15 centile).

Someone give me a grip?

[lalath]

Should add, although small, she is very very strong. Has always held her own head up (pretty much from the beginning), and been able to bear her own weight on her legs from week one. Early crawler, sat up unaided early, and has a very powerful kick!

[AliceInHinterland]

Once they can roll there's not much you can do about it - I understood the advice was put them down on their back (initially) not keep flipping them over!
I cosleep though and I would be more comfortable with the cot bolted to the side of the bed (one side off) once they are on their stomach. I'm not really sure why I feel like that though!

[Me624]

The Lullaby Trust advice is that once they can roll, it's fine to leave them on their stomachs. My DS is almost 5 months and has just started sleeping on his stomach some of the time too, and on his side most of the rest of the time. I felt equally nervous about it the first few nights but what you are doing - staying up all night watching over her - is mad and unsustainable, you have a baby who sleeps, you should be sleeping!

We recently moved DS to his own room and although I have a video monitor I don't leave the screen on all night, just the audio, I find it easier actually to not look and then I don't know what position he's in!

[lalath]

Thanks both - this is what I needed to hear

It is scary for me, especially since DS slept on his back ( still does, age 5).

Really good to get some reassurance!

[DoctorTwo]

She's a tummy sleeper, at her age it's safe as she is strong enough to roll both ways.